Canal Park's Solid Wednesday Night Wine Move
Canal Park · Duluth · New American · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 12, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Lake Avenue Restaurant & Bar’s wine list and gave it The Reliable — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Lake Avenue won't stop you in your tracks, but it won't embarrass you either. At 27 labels spanning California, the Pacific Northwest, and a few international detours, it's clearly been curated with the food in mind rather than assembled by someone who just called a Sysco rep. The industrial-chic Canal Park setting actually pairs well with a list that's unpretentious and approachable.
The list leans New World with California and Pacific Northwest anchoring the reds and whites, but there are some genuinely interesting outliers — Domaine Pépiére sneaking in from Muscadet, Drappier Champagne for the bubbles crowd, and the Ovum Big Salt blend from Oregon showing someone here has taste. Ridge Geyserville is a smart call for a Zinfandel slot; that's not a lazy pick. The gaps are real — Burgundy is absent, Italy gets minimal love, and Spanish wine doesn't appear to exist in this universe — but the wines that made the cut are mostly food-friendly and well-matched to a small plates menu.
Eight to ten options by the glass is a reasonable spread for a restaurant of this size, covering the bases from white to red to sparkling. The Drappier Carte d'Or Brut at $38 a glass is a swing for the fences that most Canal Park diners won't take — that price point needs a champagne tower moment to justify it. The everyday glass pours in the $9–$14 range are the sweet spot, and the Adelsheim Pinot Noir by the glass at $14 is genuinely solid for what you're getting.
Adelsheim Pinot Noir Willamette Valley — $50/bottle
Adelsheim is a legit Willamette Valley producer and $50 for this bottle in a restaurant setting is honest pricing. Order it on a Wednesday and you're basically stealing.
Ovum Big Salt Riesling/Gewurztraminer/Pinot Blanc
An aromatic Oregon field blend that most people at this table will skip right past on their way to the Cabernet. Don't. It's exactly the kind of wine that makes charcuterie and small plates sing, and at $42 a bottle it's not asking much.
Drappier Carte d'Or Brut Champagne
At $38 a glass, this is priced for a special occasion at a different restaurant. Drappier is lovely, but the by-the-glass markup here is steep enough to make you wince. Grab a bottle instead or wait for a Wednesday to check if it's on the half-price list.
Ovum Big Salt Riesling/Gewurztraminer/Pinot Blanc + Charcuterie board
The Big Salt's aromatic lift and natural acidity cut through cured meats and rich cheeses without trying to compete with them. It's the kind of white that makes a spread of small plates feel like a fully realized meal.
Wednesday — Select bottles marked *** are half price on Wine Wednesdays. Current marked bottles include Domaine Pépiére 2023, Ana Maria Cumsille 2023 Malbec, Valravn 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon, Ercole 2024 Rosé, and Terre dei Buth Sparkling Rosé.
The Bottom Line
Lake Avenue is exactly what a neighborhood-adjacent Canal Park restaurant should be on wine — fair, thoughtful enough, and with a Wednesday half-price program that makes it genuinely worth planning around. It's not a wine destination, but it's a reliable companion to a solid meal.
· Duluth · Brewpub
Lake Superior Brewing has no business having a wine list this interesting, and we mean that as a full compliment. If you're in Duluth and you want to drink wine somewhere that actually thought about it, this brewpub is the surprising answer.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Duluth · Cocktail Bar
This is a cocktail bar that slipped a legitimately interesting nine-bottle wine list into the corner without making a big deal about it — and we respect the quiet confidence. Don't come here for a deep cellar experience, but do come here knowing you have real options beyond the well liquor.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Duluth · Italian
Va Bene is presumably doing something right in the kitchen, but the wine list is a two-item afterthought that tells you this place doesn't take wine seriously. Order a glass, enjoy your pasta, and don't expect anything more.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Duluth · European / Hotel Restaurant
Midi is doing more with 38 labels than most hotel restaurants do with 80. The aromatic white selection alone makes it worth a serious look, and the pricing won't leave you feeling robbed on the way out.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown · Duluth · Italian-American and Pizza
Sammy's is a Duluth institution and the pizza earns its reputation — the wine list is just not the point, and the restaurant isn't pretending otherwise. Order a beer or grab the cheapest glass pour, eat the pizza, and be happy.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Canal Park · Duluth · American, Bar, Pizza
Old Chicago Duluth isn't a wine destination and doesn't pretend to be — it's a reliable fallback for the table member who wants a glass of something decent while everyone else works through the tap list. If you stick to the Ste. Michelle Riesling, you'll leave satisfied; just don't come here expecting anything that will make you put down your pizza.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Jose · New American
The Lexington House is doing more with its wine list than it gets credit for — that Italian section alone beats most comparable spots in the South Bay. The near-total absence of by-the-glass options is a frustrating structural gap, and the familiar crowd-pleasers in the New World section drag the overall ambition down a notch. But if you're ordering a bottle and you know to head straight for the Italian reds or the Director Picks, you'll drink well here.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
McGregor Boulevard · Fort Myers · New American
A wine list that tells you what is in the glass but not what it costs. For a steak, start with the Chappellet Signature Cabernet or the Gigondas, and ask the server for prices and by-the-glass availability since the list posts none. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Atlanta · Atlanta · New American
Trade Root plays it safe and charges for the privilege — markups lean steep and the list won't surprise anyone who's eaten at a mid-to-upscale American restaurant in the last decade. That said, 24 by-the-glass options anchored by a Coravin program gives you genuine flexibility, and the August Kesseler Riesling and Louis Latour Mâcon-Lugny are legit finds in an otherwise predictable lineup. If you need wine that won't cause a debate at the table, Trade Root delivers — just don't come looking for discovery.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
One wine list review, one adventure pick, one quick tip, and a personal note. Every week. Under 500 words.
List Variety
Markup
Glassware
Staff
Specials & Deals
Storage & Temp
